"They wanna be on TV": Puka Nacua accuses NFL referees of chasing spotlight with blatant wrong calls

NFL officiating has been under fire all season, and LA Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had something to say about it on Tuesday. He criticized referees, accusing them of seeking attention rather than letting the game speak for itself.

“The refs are the worst," Nacua said, via Adin Ross’ Kick livestream. "These guys are lawyers, they wanna be on TV too, bro. You don’t think he is texting his friends in their group chat like, ‘Yo, you guys saw me do that on Sunday Night Football? That wasn’t P.I., but I called it.’”

Some officiating calls have affected the Rams this season, inlcuding their Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Matthew Stafford threw deep to Nacua with 46 seconds left. An Eagles defender was beaten and grabbed Nacua’s trousers from behind to stop the catch; however, no flag was thrown. The missed holding call effectively ended the team’s comeback attempt.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Nacua was also penalized for taunting after a 20-yard catch. He spun the ball, flexed and pointed forward. Officials flagged him, costing LA 15 yards. Fox analyst Greg Olsen questioned the call, noting that flexing is allowed if it is not directed at a defender.

The pattern continued in later weeks. Officials missed a punch to running back Kyren Williams’ helmet before his costly fumble against the 49ers in Week 10. However, the Rams also benefited from a questionable touchdown ruling against the Lions five weeks later.

Other teams also dealt with similar errors, including a controversial pass interference call in the Texans' game against the Colts on Nov. 30. It led to a game-winning touchdown.

NFL executives are reportedly pushing for changes in the next labor agreement for officials.

Puka Nacua reaches milestone as Rams bag a playoff spot

The LA Rams secured a spot in the playoffs with their 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions. Puka Nacua was central to the team's offense on Sunday.

Despite briefly leaving the game with an injury, he returned and crossed the 100-reception mark for the season.

Rams coach Sean McVay praised the wide receiver after the game.

“He's unbelievable," McVay said to reporters. "The guy just produces. He's so tough. There are a couple times where he just drags guys with him where he's saying, ‘Just get down so you don't leave yourself.’ I thought he got hit in the back of the head. He was just cramping on the one that he caught over the middle before he ended up hitting Colby for the touchdown, but he's a stud."

Nacua also had multiple fourth-down catches that kept drives alive and stabilized the offense.

Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez